Shopping through AI is when consumers search for, compare and sometimes even buy products inside AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI Mode. During 2026 the major platforms added carts, checkouts and product ads within the conversation, and most of them currently operate in the US only or are in testing. For e-commerce and retail brands in Israel, the practical implication is that the quality of product data affects the chance that a product appears in the answer.
In brief
- מה השתנה. Google launched Universal Cart in the US on October 15, 2026, and ChatGPT shows product results in its answers that rely on structured data.
- מה זמין בישראל. According to the official documentation, most in-assistant purchasing capabilities are not available in Israel. Google Shopping and advertising on ChatGPT are available to Israeli advertisers.
- מה משותף לכולן. All the platforms rely on an accurate product feed, structured data on product pages and a clear shipping and returns policy.
- מה עושים עכשיו. Improve product data, synchronize price and inventory, and prepare measurement for traffic coming from AI assistants.
What is changing in shopping through AI?
The main change is that part of product discovery and comparison is moving from results pages and websites to a single answer from an AI assistant. The consumer describes what they need, and the assistant suggests a few products with price, availability and a short explanation. Agentic commerce is the next stage, in which the assistant acts on the user's behalf: tracking a price, adding to the cart and sometimes completing a purchase with the user's authorization.
According to Google's official announcement of October 15, 2026, Universal Cart is a single cart that persists between Google Search, including AI Mode, and the Gemini app. The cart sends alerts about price drops and items coming back in stock. You can pay with Google Pay at participating merchants, or move the items to the cart on the merchant's site. Either way, the merchant remains the merchant of record.
The infrastructure is provided by UCP. UCP (Universal Commerce Protocol) is an open standard that defines how an AI agent communicates with a store's commerce system, from the cart to payment. According to Google's developer blog, the standard was published on January 11, 2026 and was developed together with Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target and Walmart.
What is available today in shopping through AI, and what is still in testing?
At the time of writing, most in-assistant purchasing capabilities operate in the US or are in testing, while the capabilities that rely on a product feed are already relevant to brands in Israel too.
| Capability | What it does | Status | Israel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Cart | A shared cart in Search and Gemini | Launched October 15, 2026 | US only |
| Checkout via UCP | A buy button in AI Mode and Gemini | Gradual rollout in the US, for selected merchants | Not on the list of countries |
| Product results in ChatGPT | Organic products within the answer | Active, Direct feed for approved partners | The documentation does not specify countries |
| Feed campaign in ChatGPT Ads | Product ads built from a catalog | Beta | Ads Manager available for Israel, the format is not specified by country |
| Ads within AI Overviews | Text and shopping ads within the summary | English only, in 12 markets | Not within the summary. Above and below it, yes |
| Checkout in Meta AI | Direct purchase in a conversation with Meta AI | In testing | No availability stated for Israel |
| Google Shopping | Shopping ads and free listings | Active | Available, including Hebrew and shekels |
On the consumer side too, the picture is still taking shape. Reports in the trade press in March 2026 described OpenAI narrowing its focus on in-chat purchasing and shifting the emphasis to product research and comparison. The official help page still says that for some products and merchants an Instant Checkout option may be shown. So it makes sense to treat in-assistant purchasing as a trend being tested, and product discovery as a change that is already happening.
In Israel, part of this discovery is already available in Hebrew: AI Mode launched in Hebrew in October 2025. In October 2026 Meta announced a test of direct checkout in Meta AI with Adyen, PayPal, Shopify and Stripe. The report on the announcement did not specify the markets where the test is running.
Why is the product feed becoming the brand's shop window?
An AI assistant presents a product based on the data it receives about it, and the feed is the most structured and up-to-date source of that data. A product feed is a file or API connection that passes each product's details to the platform: name, description, price, availability, images, identifiers such as GTIN, and seller details. When an assistant builds a comparison, it needs to know the price, whether the product is in stock and who it suits. A product whose data is missing or contradictory is harder to choose.
According to OpenAI's Help Center, product results in ChatGPT are selected by relevance to the user's intent, and rely, among other things, on structured metadata from first- and third-party providers. Shopify merchants are connected through Shopify Catalog, and other merchants can apply for a direct feed. The developer documentation recommends updating the feed at least once a day. According to the same documentation, recommended attributes such as rich media and reviews improve ranking, relevance and trust.
At Google, according to the official documentation at the time of writing, Merchant Center remains the hub for product data for the new checkout too, and the buy button appears only on products flagged with the native_commerce attribute. Google also compares the price in the feed with the price shown on the page and in its structured data. According to the help page, a mismatch between them may cause the product to be disapproved, and may even lead to account suspension.
What can e-commerce brands in Israel prepare right now?
The preparation is almost identical across platforms, and it already improves Google Shopping and organic search today. These are the areas worth checking:
- נתוני מוצר. Titles and descriptions that explain who the product is for, full specifications, quality images and identifiers such as GTIN, brand and SKU.
- נתונים מובנים. Product and Offer markup on product pages with price, availability, shipping and returns policy, according to Google's guidelines.
- מחיר ומלאי. The same price and the same availability in the feed, on the page and in the structured data, with automatic updates.
- ביקורות. Ratings and reviews from real customers, shown on the product page and marked up as required.
- מדיניות. Shipping, returns and customer service in plain language, on a page that is easy to find and cite.
- מדידה. Separating traffic from AI assistants from other channels, and checking how each platform tags referrals.
At the time of writing, we did not find details in Google's official documentation of the data merchants receive from Universal Cart, or of how referrals from the cart are tagged in analytics. According to OpenAI's developer documentation, ChatGPT Ads has a pixel and a Conversions API. Any such connection must comply with privacy law, including Amendment 13. The new channel, too, is worth evaluating by its contribution to profit.
How does shopping through AI connect with GEO/AEO and e-commerce marketing?
GEO/AEO deals with the brand's visibility in the answers of AI engines, and in e-commerce that visibility is largely built from product data. GEO/AEO is a field whose goal is to increase the chance that AI engines understand the brand, cite it and recommend it. For general questions the answer relies on content and sources. For purchase questions it also relies on the feed, structured data and reviews.
On the paid side, the same feed powers Shopping and Performance Max on Google, as well as feed campaigns on ChatGPT. According to the Google Ads help page, shopping ads can appear within AI Overviews in markets where the format is active, and in Israel above or below the summary. One well-organized feed therefore serves both organic visibility and media, and the content, feed and media teams should work from the same data.
How we approach this at CONNECT
At CONNECT, part of the Bruckner Yaar Levi advertising group, we start with a review of the existing product data: the feed, the product pages and the structured data. The review produces a work list prioritized by impact on the categories that matter to the brand, shared by the SEO, GEO/AEO and media teams.
We track platform updates, and every new capability that opens in Israel enters the work gradually and with measurement. Alongside this, we track the brand's visibility in AI engines' answers using GEO Radar, to see how changes in the data are reflected over time.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy through Gemini or AI Mode in Israel?
According to Google's official announcement, Universal Cart launched on October 15, 2026 in the US only. The Merchant Center help page also describes a gradual rollout of checkout in the US, with Australia and Canada next year, and Israel is not on the list. AI Mode itself has been available in Hebrew since October 2025, so it is already a search touchpoint for consumers in Israel. The purchase itself takes place on the store's site.
Do you need a separate feed for ChatGPT?
OpenAI has its own feed specification, and access to a direct feed is currently given to approved partners who apply. Shopify stores are already connected through Shopify Catalog, according to OpenAI's Help Center. Product feed campaigns in ChatGPT Ads rely on a catalog connected to Ads Manager. In most cases the feeds can be built from the same data source, so it's worth improving the source itself first.
What is the difference between product results in ChatGPT and ads in ChatGPT?
According to OpenAI, product results in the answer are selected by relevance to the user's intent, and are not ads or the result of partnerships. Ads are shown separately and labeled as such. Product feed campaigns are in beta, and according to the documentation, products from the advertising feed are currently used for ads only and not for organic results. These are two separate tracks, and each relies on quality product data.
Does a Shopify store already appear in ChatGPT's answers?
OpenAI's Help Center states that product data from Shopify merchants is already integrated into ChatGPT through Shopify Catalog, without additional work by the merchant. The page does not specify countries, and does not promise that any particular product will be shown. Actual appearance depends on relevance to the question and on data quality. So a Shopify store also needs accurate titles, descriptions, images, prices and inventory.
What's the first step to take?
The first step is a review of the existing product data: whether price and inventory are identical in the feed, on the product page and in the structured data, and whether there are identifiers, images and a shipping and returns policy. Such a review already improves performance in Google Shopping and organic search today. It also prepares the catalog for capabilities that may open in Israel later.
ראו גם: E-commerce Performance | AI Search Optimization (GEO/AEO) | מה זה GEO/AEO | איקומרס: למדוד רווח ולא רק ROAS | פרטיות ומדידה בשיווק
Sources: Google: Universal Cart launch | Google Merchant Center: UCP integration hub | Google Merchant Center: UCP-powered checkout | Google Developers Blog: UCP | Google Merchant Center: Mismatched product price | Google Search Central: Merchant listing structured data | Google Merchant Center: supported languages and currencies | Google Ads: ads in AI Overviews | OpenAI: Shopping with ChatGPT Search | OpenAI Commerce: Get started | OpenAI Commerce: Key concepts | OpenAI Commerce: File upload overview | OpenAI: Create campaigns from product feeds | OpenAI: ChatGPT ads availability | Meta for Business: Advertising Week New York 2026 | Social Media Today (report on Meta's announcement) | mako: AI Mode launch in Hebrew | Storyboard18 (secondary report on OpenAI's change in focus) | OpenAI: ChatGPT Ads developer documentation
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